Lesson 2: Key Concepts

Program

"The major field [is] a set of courses and experiences intended to give
students a specialized base of knowledge in an academic or collegiate career
study." (Stark & Lattuca, p. 158)

Program Outcomes

Program Outcomes are what students should know and be able to do as a
graduate of a program. These intended results guide the selection of
assessment methodologies. (Palomba & Banta, pp. 26-27).

Program Assessment

"Program assessment is the measurement of collective student (e.g.,
graduate) outcomes, not individual outcomes. The focus is on the performance
of the unit (program/curriculum), not on the performance of the individual
student." (http://www.nmc.edu/policies/nmc/D-102-01.pdf.)